[Recipe + Video] Pastelón or Lasana de Berenjenas (Beef and Eggplant Casserole)

Lasaña de Berenjenas (Beef and Eggplant Casserole)

[Recipe + Video] Pastelón or Lasana de Berenjenas (Beef and Eggplant Casserole)

This tasty and cheesy Lasagna de Berenjenas (Beef and Eggplant Casserole) does not contain pasta but uses eggplants in its place.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Dominican, Latino

Keyword como hacer lasagna de berenjena, eggplant lasagna, lasagna de berenjena, pastelon de berenjenas

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 721kcal

Author Clara Gonzalez

Ingredients

2 large eggplant or 3 medium
¼ cup olive oil
⅓ cup tomato sauce
2½ cup grated mozzarella (low moisture)
Minced meat filling See recipe + Video (about 4 cups)
1½ cup crumbled fresh mozzarella (see notes)

Instructions

Prepping eggplants: Wash the eggplants. Score the skin with a sharp knife (see notes). Slice very them very thinly.
Pan-frying eggplants: Brush a frying pan with oil. Heat over medium-high heat.
Cook slices of eggplant for two minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for two minutes.
Repeat with all the slices, lightly brushing the pan with oil every time you add more eggplants.
Layering: Brush a lasagna pan with oil. Cover with a layer of tomato sauce.
Cover with ¼ of the eggplant slices, arranging them to cover the bottom of the baking pan. Cover the eggplant with a layer of ¼ of the grated mozzarella, and follow by another ¼ of eggplant slices. Top with another layer of mozzarella
Add the meat in one layer, distribute evenly and press down with the back of a spoon. Top the meat with a layer of ¼ grated mozzarella.
Add a layer of ¼ of the eggplant slices, top with mozzarella, then the last quarter of the eggplant slices.
Baking: Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven at 300 ºF (150 ºC) for 30 minutes.
Carefully remove from the oven and remove the foil (use tongs to prevent the steam from burning you).
Crumble the mozzarella with your fingers and layer on top. Return to the oven (uncovered) for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and melted.
Serving: Remove from the oven and cut with a sharp knife into six equal pieces.
Serve with salad.

Video

Notes

I used fresh mozzarella that comes in liquid in tiny balls. I discarded the liquid and crumbled it between my fingers. As it melts it'll cover the top of the casserole.

Scoring the eggplant skin will improve the texture, in my experience.

Nutrition